A bittersweet goodbye: Education pioneer Phyllis Harrison is slated to retire

Looking ahead to a life after the final bell rings, the dedicated educator said the departure process is bittersweet.

“This is kind of my baby, so I want it to succeed and grow,” she said of the program at the school where she took over as principal 12 years ago.

Since coming to the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District almost 40 years ago, Harrison has taught at nearly every elementary campus in the district before moving into the administrative ranks.

With such a breadth of perspectives, Harrison said she believes her career has been well served through the ability to relate with students, teachers and parents alike.

“My life has been a learning experience, but it’s also a bonus because I can see both sides,” she said.

Though she also taught at other private, Catholic and public schools prior to joining the local district, she said her career changed forever after taking her first Montessori training course as a burgeoning educator at Notre Dame de Namur University.

“Once a Montessori, always a Montessori,” she said.

The curriculum is designed to address human development while establishing the foundation for education by building a solid grasp of philosophical principles through physical learning and intensively training individuals or small groups.

Beyond the unique curriculum, an additional focus on student interaction with the immediate environment, as well as the Earth, sets the program apart for Harrison.

“We are more alike than different, and through children we can bring peace to the world,” she said, in addressing the program’s spotlight on teaching empathy and compassion among students.

Harrison began working in the district’s early education Montessori program at Meadow Heights Elementary School, before relocating to a similar program at Parkside Elementary School and ultimately moving onto her current assignment at North Shoreview Elementary School, where the model was expanded through the whole school.

As a pioneer in adopting Montessori schools, Harrison said the local district has long been recognized globally as a leader in offering such programs, which would not be possible without the standing support of district officials.

Superintendent Joan Rosas reciprocated that appreciation in an email.

“We are so thankful for her many years of leadership and what she has done to bring Montessori education to our district,” she said. “We will miss her advocacy for students and passion for Montessori education, and wish her all the best in her retirement.”

After years of seeing the program work for generations of students, Harrison considers the pillars of Montessori almost universally applicable, and has witnessed them pay dividends in helping her own children overcome early learning difficulties.

The successes are not earned without challenges though, she noted, especially recently in attempting to hire dedicated and talented Montessori teachers.

While school districts across California grapple with a teacher shortage, Harrison said the deficit is especially difficult for her specialized program, as educators are required to attain additional Montessori credentials before getting hired.

Compounding the hardship is a requirement that interested teachers must pay for their own program certifications yet are offered no extra compensation or reimbursement by the district which is not one of the region’s highest paying, said Harrison.

The high gateway for entry can make it especially hard to attract Montessori teachers, said Harrison, but it also works to assure those willing to go to such lengths are dedicated and committed to the program.

“You really have to have a passion for this,” she said.

The professional challenges she has faced in recent years come alongside personal hurdles she will need to soon address.

A primary focus after retiring will be rebuilding her Foster City condominium, which she has been unable to live in since the property was badly burned in a welding accident started by plumbers last year.

Workers sweating pipes sparked in her second-story unit a blaze which spread rapidly through the insulation and into the floor above, devastating the building and displacing 10 residents.

With her furniture and belongings stashed in storage facilities across the Bay Area while she rents a San Mateo apartment, Harrison said she is preparing for the pending court case and insurance claim process.

“I don’t know how I’m going to deal with that … hopefully I get my place rebuilt,” she said.

Not to let the bad hand she was dealt overshadow her retirement, Harrison said she greatly anticipates having more time to spend with her loved ones.

“I’m going to miss what I do because I’m passionate, but I look forward to less pressure and enjoying some of the things I’ve put aside, especially family and friends” she said.

She expects to travel to Sweden and also visit her first granddaughter who was just born. Ultimately though, she said it is not unreasonable to expect that she may return to education if beckoned.

Careful overshadow her successor, Harrison said she would only come back to education if asked by those carrying on her legacy.

“I don’t want to step on any toes,” she said.

From her office where the voices of young children are heard clearly and frequently, Harrison walks through a door artfully decorated with farewell wishes from students.

With retirement just around the corner, she said it is not uncommon for members of the school community to express their desire for her to stay, to which she responds “it’s not like I’m going to Siberia.”

Through her steadfast dedication to curriculum paying special attention to the place of young learners on the globe, she moves on to her next life chapter with confidence her students know exactly where Siberia is.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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